


Butterflies in the Mountains

by trinuil



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Arguing, Bows & Arrows, Daggers, Dwarves, Elves, F/M, Fights, Fire, Fluff, Goblin Town, Goblins, Hidden Pass, Love at First Sight, Orcs, Plot, Quests, Rivendell, Swords, The Carrock (Tolkien), Trust, Uncle Thorin, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Wargs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-15 05:30:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4594671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trinuil/pseuds/trinuil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don't own the hobbit.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. The Cave

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own the hobbit.

You flattened against a tree, holding your breath as the soldiers from Rivendell sped past you on horses. Waiting till the ground stopped shaking, you peered out from behind the tree, there was no sight of your pursuers. Your elf feet moved over twisting roots and decaying foliage of the forest without a sound. Your heart was still racing, how did they find out you were gone? You had been extra careful.

You were nearing the edge of the forest, the dense trees thinned out as you broke out into the vast clearing. You ducked behind a boulder biting your lip, had they seen you? You waited a good long while before you decided that it was safe to keep on moving. The plan was to put as much ground between you and Rivendell as you possibly could.

You barely noticed the clear sky and the swift breeze that danced through the weeds as you used all your senses to pick up on any movement around you.

Climbing a mild hill you crouched, trying to scope out your surroundings. You could make out the hidden pass just over a trail of short trees. When you saw the small company of soldiers you ducked. They seemed to be chasing after something, you caught a glimpse of what just before you hopped of the hill.

Orcs.

You sprinted in the opposite direction, using this chance to escape. But what were orcs doing so close to elf territory anyway? You dismissed the question from your thoughts, focusing on not getting caught. Spotting an opening of a cave hidden among boulders, you smiled and thanked your lucky stars and your keen elf eyes. The orcs were almost all dead so you needed to find a hiding spot before the soldiers resumed their hunt for you.

You skilfully vaulted over some rocks and dove into the cave. The entrance dipped down in a steep slope, you skidded down on your agile feet, kicking up a cloud of dust. You looked around when the dust settled and saw 13 dwarves, a hobbit and a tall figure, you knew to be Gandalf. They all had their weapons raised and hostile expressions on their faces. Your face remained stoic as you whipped around and crouched behind yet another boulder when you heard the thundering of hooves, the singing of flying arrows and pained squeals.

The armed dwarves did not scare or concern you. You’d rather they killed you here than be dragged back to Rivendell. You reached for your dagger when an orc rolled in from the entrance. You relaxed when it didn’t move and a jab from the dwarves confirmed its death.

Your mind went into overdrive. Will they find the cave? What was your next move going to be? Your eyes were fixed on the entrance, waiting.

Your pulse seemed to slow down when the sound of hooves faded. You let out a loud sigh and dropped to you knees in relief.

“I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or not?”, you vaguely heard. The dwarves had senses that you were of no threat and had moved away from you, at least most of them. 

The skin on the back of your neck tingled as you felt someone walk closer, “Who are you?”. The voice was deep and demanding, it also carried a note of aggression. You ignored his question, less people knew about you better your chances were of getting away safely. Getting up to your feet, you avoid the dwarf’s eyes and try to push past him, he soon had a painful grip on your upper arm and he flung you back to where you were stand before. You gasped in pain and in shock, you looked at him infuriated. This dwarf had long dark hair and a beard to match, thin lips set in a tight line and sky blue eyes burned with annoyance. “What are you?”.

His question didn’t surprise you. You were quite short for an elf, you were just a head taller than the dwarf in front of you. But you still possessed the beauty, wit and grace of the elves. You were about to reply when he took an abrupt step towards you and pushed your long (y/h/c) locks from your face in an impatient manner. You cringed in pain. “An elf. I thought as much”, he spat, disgusted, retrieving his hand, he glared at you like you were a worthless worm under his boot. “You were hiding from your kin, were you not?”.

You grew weary of this dwarf’s impertinence and attitude, “That is not of your concern, _dwarf_. You’d be wise to leave well enough alone”, you snapped back with equal bitterness. Glaring at him, you waited for him to leave but he didn’t, he just glared right back. You looked up when you heard Gandalf clear his throat, “Thorin, we best be on our way. This young lady is of no threat, come now”. Thorin was still staring at you and in the blink of an eye he had snatched the small leather satchel you were holding close to your chest. He emptied the contents of it on to the floor of the cave. You ducked your head and sighed as the light glittered off the handful of gems and jewels that lay at your feet.

“A common thief. I’m willing to bet my life that you stole these from Rivendell”. You leaped over the jewels and stood an inch away from his face, “You don’t know me. You don’t get to make assumptions about my character or morality. Now, I’ll ask again, please just leave”. You whipped around and started stuffing the satchel again, but you were still embarrassed that he was right. How had you stooped this low? A few days ago you were dressed in lavish silks and sat in the extravagant chambers with high elves. Never mind, you would rather hang than go back to Rivendell.

Before you could get back up to your feet, you were pushed forward till you landed face first on the hard floor. Your hands were pulled back behind you and secured with what felt like rope. “WHAT ARE YOU _DOING_??!!”, you exclaimed in anger, “Thorin, stop this foolishness”, you heard Gandalf ordered. You were pulled to your feet and pushed towards the path leading out, “If we have no choice but go to the elves for help, we might as well bring them a gift. To insure we get what we want.”.

“Thoin, we need not barter with them. They are not our enemy”, Gandalf reasoned as he walked behind Thorin. “I’m not worth anything to them, trust me. I’ve never been to Rivendell. Just let me go!”, you lied. Thorin gave you a rough shove to get you walking again, “Has anyone told you that you are horrible at lying. Your bracers have Rivendell runes and so does your sword”, he unclasped the sword from your hip and yanked the dagger from its scabbard . You wanted to kick yourself for that stupid mistake. You had to do something. You couldn’t go back, your punishment would be severe..probably even lethal.

Pretty soon, you, Thorin and Gandalf had caught up to the rest of the company. You got a few confused looks from some of them, but most of them just ignored you, like it was normal for Thorin to take random hostages at will. You were annoyed beyond belief, just who did this dwarf think he was? You should have killed them when you had the chance. But mostly you were angry that you had let a dwarf take you prisoner so easily. You were a good warrior and he was a small person. How in Eru’s name did this come about?

The wheels in your head turned grudgingly as you saw light at the end of the tunnel. It felt like you had been walking for hours and you had realized that you cannot make your escape till you got outside. During the walk, Thorin had said no more to you but kept an eye on you in case you bolted. A blond dwarf moved closer to you at Thorin’s command. The younger dwarf threw you curious glances and appeared less cruel. It was high noon when you exited the cave, the company kept moving in the direction of Rivendell. You looked around you, there was enough space between you and the company to make a quick getaway, the only problem was Thorin and the blonde dwarf; the were flanking you. But if you played your cards right, you could be miles away from them in no time.

You let out a painful groan and stopped bending over, “I need a break, my calf is cramping”. The company in front of you stopped but started again when Thorin said something in Khuzdul. He rolled his eyes and stopped, “two minutes”. You looked up and saw that the rest of the dwarves and Gandalf were far enough. Quickly, you jumped over your bound hands bringing them in front of you and punched Thorin in the face and kneed his stomach. He fell back and you spun around to see the blond dwarf lunging at you. You couldn’t do much with your hands bound and he was too close for you to doge in time, he tackled you to the ground. You rolled him over using your legs till you were on top of him. Before Thorin could get up again you bolted towards the trees. A smug smile crept to your lips as you dove into the forest. 

You spotted a huge oak with raised roots. You could probably hide in there for a while. Before you reached it you tripped and tumbled to the wet ground, you uttered a string of Sindarin curses and looked behind you because you were sure there was nothing there a few seconds ago. You groaned when you saw the blond dwarf from before with a raised battle axe. “You are not going anywhere dornessiti (princess)”, he said a little out of breath. 

You wanted to cry. “Please don’t make me go back there”, you said with pleading eyes, "Please. They'll kill me". He lowered his axe by an inch and shifted on his feet; he was hesitating. His deep blue eyes betrayed him, he was sorry for you. He looked around and offered you his hand.

“I will see what I can do”.


	2. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made it back to NY in one piece! Done with the first week of classes and I'm so ready to start writing again!! :D  
> Sorry this took awhile :(  
> Hope you guys enjoy!

The blond dwarf had pulled you to your feet and tied you to a tree. “You can’t just leave me here! Let me go!”, you cried. Who’s to say another pack of orcs won’t show up any minute and rip you apart? He strapped on his axe before turning to look at you, “I will be back shortly”, he narrowed his eyes when he saw you trying to loosen the ties. Walking up to you, he pulled out another length of rope from behind him and tied you more securely. You rolled your eyes. He smirked smugly before taking off in the direction of the company.

You tried squirming and pulling at your confines, but to no avail. You cursed under your breath as you gave up and leaned your head back against the tree. What was the purpose of tying you up if he wasn’t going to hand you over to Thorin? Why not just let you go? Dwarves were frustratingly illogical.

Thankfully, nothing had attacked you while you waited for him and after what seemed like hours, your head snapped up at the sound of heavy boots against twigs and leaves. Your body stiffened a little as the dwarf appeared again. “I don’t know what is going through your head, dwarf, but so help me-”,

“Fili”

“What?”, you asked confused and still annoyed.

“It’s Fili. My name”.

“Fine. _Fili_. Let me go”.

He walked over to you casually and began to untie the ropes while you tried to hide your relief. “Won’t you tell me yours?”, he asked with a slight smile, “After all, I _did,_ save you”. You stood up quickly once you were free, “We will never see each other again, what use is my name of to you?”, you said as you held out your still bound wrists. He made an exasperated face and grabbed your wrists and pulled you along as he began walking out of the forest. 

“Wait! What are you doing? The Gods be good, what have I gotten myself into..”, you sighed as you dug your heels into the dirt in an effort to make him stop. But of course you were overpowered, though not easily. You began to realize he was taking you in the direction of Rivendell. Your eyes widen as your thrashing became more frantic, was he doing this because you refused to tell him your name? You’ve never heard the like. 

“Alright! My name is Y/N! Now please stop!”. 

Fili turned his head to look at you with a look of confusion and amusement, before chuckling, “I suppose, that’s lone way to get a pretty lass’s name. But you misunderstand m’lady. We are not going to Rivendell.” 

“Then what are you doing to do with me?!”, you cried trying to hold on to that last shred of self control. 

“Sit”, he commanded. 

You looked around and saw that you were near towering heaps of rocks that sheltered you from the northern winds. You were confused, tired and scared, when Fili looked at you again, he saw all of that. “Listen lass, you’re safe from the elves for now. I told Thorin you escaped and that I would stay back and try to find you. But trust me, I won't take you there". 

You felt yourself relax a little, something in his sapphire orbs made you trust him. You sat down on a rock slowly, you owed him that much at least. He smiled and you couldn't help but offer him a half smile as well, this dwarf has been more kinder to you than most people you've met during your thousand years of life. And he had been a complete stranger, yet he chose to help you. 

He held your gaze for a while before looking down and stating that he was going to look for firewood, "And don't you be getting any ideas of running away, you hear me lass?". You hadn't realized that it was already nightfall, you looked up and saw the sky was tinted in shades of orange and pink and the distant echo of birds chirping as they flew home drifted towards you in the calm wind. 

You were alone. This was perfect, you could easily take off and he wouldn't be able to catch you. Why had he trusted you like that? Pretty foolish of him. He had even left your weapons and satchel on the ground next to you. But what surprised you the most however, was that it had been half an hour since he had been gone and you were still sitting where he had left you. You sighed in frustration. You'll just wait till he returns and explained himself, why the heck is he keeping you prisoner? But oddly enough, you didn't feel like a prisoner. And you didn't want to break his trust for some bizarre reason. 

Fili returned, his arms cradling a heap of wood and when he saw you waiting he smirked, slightly relived. You shrugged at his expression. He tossed the wood next to you and set about getting a fire going. You shuffled your feet, "If you untie me, I could help". 

He tilted his head to the side, "I doubt it. You elves don't really like roughing it up in the wild, especially ladies like yourself". 

"Ladies like myself? What in Arda is that supposed to mean?", you asked mildly offended. He grinned, "I only meant that you look like a lady of high class. The expensive leather garb is a clear giveaway. Also the way you walk..the way you talk..the way yo-", he began counting on his fingers when you cut him short: 

"I beg your pardon, this high class lady can skin you in the blink of an eye. And let's not forget that I had you on your back, on the ground, not too long ago". 

"Yet, you're tied up and at my mercy. And let's not also forget, that I had you on your your back as well m'lady", he laughed. You turned beet red. "Dwarves play dirty", you mumbled annoyed. "Aye, that we do. I bet that's the reason why there are more dwarves than elves in middle earth", now he was laughing hard. You bit your lip trying not to smile, it was his laugh that was delightfully amusing. It was so carefree and _soulful_ . Nothing like you've ever heard. Elves tended to be more reserved and composed, his flamboyant behavior was a breath of fresh air in your opinion. 

Once he achieved a roaring a fire, he flopped down opposite you and warmed himself. You watched him eye the flames intently, as if in deep thought. After watching him for a while, you decided to speak up, “So..Fili”, his gaze traveled to your face, “Are you going to let me go now?”. 

“Depends. Are you going to tell me why you were running?”. 

You frowned, “Of what concern is it you? You helped me, I am truly grateful. And one day I hope to repay you, but tell me why you’re keeping me”. 

Fili stood up and walked over to you and knelt beside you, he held your bound hands and brought up a small dagger. In the blink of an eye he had cut through the coarse rope and set you free. You rubbed at your bruised wrists in relief. His expression was unreadable, his blue eyes were shadowed as they ran over your face...looking for something. You were taken aback by how close he was to you and the confusing expression on his face. 

“You do not have a home anymore, do you?” 

You simply shook your head. 

“You were scared and alone. You didn’t really know where you were going, if I’m not mistaken”, his voice was deep and sympathetic and spoke to your soul somehow. “I understand what it feels like to not belong anywhere. To long for a home. I know you don’t feel that way right now, but you will. And I do not wish anyone..not even my enemies, to feel that sort of pain.” 

You didn’t know what to say. He had broken through your walls and you hadn’t been aware of it. He saw right through you. 

And it frightened you. 

He stood back up and walked a few feet away from you and stopped with his back to you. “Y/N, if I had let you go at your previous state, what would you have done? You are new to this life. I didn’t want your blood on my hands.” 

A surge of warmth filled your heart while a small smile tugged at the corner of your lips. 

“You could stay with us and I will share my home with you. Or now that you have had time to clear your mind, you could leave. And this time I won’t stop you”. 

Fili turned his head to look at you after a few minutes and saw that he was alone. 

Your things were gone and so were you. 

A small sigh left his lips. 


	3. Skills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite happy with this chapter. Finally I feel like I set the stage and it took like three chapters. I apologize :)

You’ve been on the run for two days now. It was dusk and you sat awake by a small fire keeping a lookout. Travelling alone meant that you got very little sleep, but being an elf you didn’t really need it anyway.

You really had nowhere to go. The best you could hope for was that you’d happen upon a quiet town and seek refuge there, take up some honest work and lie low for a while. You didn’t know how to go about this the right way but you had to learn somehow. Maybe you should have accepted Fili’s offer, it sure would have made things easier; who’d ever think to look for an elf among a pack of dwarves?

But you couldn’t trust them just like that. One took you hostage and threatened to hand you over to your hunters and the other..the other had been surprisingly courteous and sympathetic. You stifled a groan at that thought. You felt horribly guilty for just abandoning him and throwing his open hearted offer in his face, but just because one of them had been nice didn’t mean that they all were going to be accepting towards you.

Dwarves were selfish and greedy. They only acted to their own benefit. At least that’s what you’ve been taught. So, who’s to say that Fili didn’t have some dirty underlying plan to use you.

You hugged your feet to your chest and stared into the flames. You were alone and you just had to get used to it.

Suddenly, you were pulled back down to earth when you felt a tremor. It was a slight one and had you been human, you wouldn’t have felt it. Judging by the intensity and duration, the source of the tremor was not far from where you sat.

“Let it be, Y/N”, you warned yourself. A slightly more intense tremor followed and you cursed under your breath. Standing up, you put out the fire and gathered your weapons. You hurried in the direction of the tremors to find a large cave of sorts. You peeked in, being careful to not draw attention to yourself. You were surprised to see that the floor of the cave had given way and light now emerging from the gaping hole.

You slowly made your way to the edge, you could make out annoyed gruff voices that were talking over each other. Bending over, you saw a tangled mess of dwarves.

“Kili, get your foot out of my face!”, you heard a familiar voice. Fili was frantically pawing at random limbs trying to get some air. It was an amusing sight. You ducked back when you heard loud animalistic squalling which grew louder as a hoard of goblins approached. 

You watched as they fought over the dwarves and dragged them away. Your fingers twitched nervously. Should you help them? How could you defeat a whole goblin town? Besides why did you care? It sure as day wasn’t your problem.

"Damn it all!", you cursed as you jumped down onto the ground below. You didn't make a sound as you crept in the direction they were taken in. The rickety wooden bridge swayed as you jumped off it on the more stable path at the end. You looked around you and saw a maze of different paths, leading in all directions. 

"Perfect".

You chose a path to the right. The remnants of animals and possibly humans lay scattered in all corners of the place. The ungodly sight and smell of decay was revolting and it made your stomach turn. You trod carefully as you neared the sound of booming voice and loud cheering. The path widened to open up to a vast arena. Wooden bridges ran high and low connecting many tunnels, one larger bridge led to a the goblin king in the middle of the hall. You saw the company of dwarves being surrounded by goblins before the king.

“Down down down to Goblin town!”, he finished his repugnant song.

You crouched and edged closer, trying to pick up on their conversation, but you were too far away to even hear the Goblin king’s now lowered voice. You watched carefully, trying to come up with a way to get Fili out of there also mentally preparing yourself to fight. 

All of a sudden the the king yelps and screams something about a cleaver and all of the goblins are on the dwarves. You couldn’t make out what was happening. You leaped over the rocks and drew your bow, you got to shoot one arrow before you were knocked on your back by an explosion of wind and bright light.

Your ears rang and your head hurt. Everything was silent. You squinted through your (y/h/c) lashes trying to register your surroundings. You could make out Gandalf standing before the dwarves.

“Fight!”, he ordered.

You looked to your left and saw a group of goblins speeding towards you. Jumping to your feet you unsheathed your sword and delivered skillful blows to your foes and soon they lay at your feet. You spun around and saw the dwarves running in the opposite direction. Picking up your bow, you took off after them. 

Pretty soon you caught up with them, but you took care not to get too close. Taking a different bridge you stayed parallel with them. As they killed their way to the exit, you tried to stay alive as well. You’ve never seen this many goblins in your life. You kicked one in the face sending it toppling over the side, twirling your sword in your hand, you sliced a couple of necks and jumped of the corpses. From the corner of your eye you saw a goblin swing towards Fili from a rope, you turned around and you found yourself running backwards, you released an arrow and the goblin fell off just before it could reach him. 

Fili was between two other dwarves, running when he looked to his right and did a double take when he spotted you keeping up with them. You offered him a quick nod before shifting your gaze forward. You kicked off against a small jutting ledge and landed on a broken stone pillar. You watched the dwarves fight with everything they had all the while moving forward. Of course you made sure to watch over them, shooting down goblins they have missed.

You knocked another arrow and aimed it at one of the goblins but stopped short when the creature was thrown off the bridge when the goblin king broke through the floor from under it. He swung at Gandalf and knocked him on his back. “What will you do now?”, he sneered.

You skid down the side of the pillar, taking aim and firing two arrows at the belly of the king in the process. All eyes were on you as you dodged a few goblins and lunged at the towering goblin. You buried a dagger in the side of his head to the hilt. Throwing your free arm around him, your stuck a second dagger on his head; the screeches he emitted were deafening. You leaned back, making him tilt with you, pivoting around him, you found a foothold on a rocky wall. You brought a foot up and kicked him away from you, pulling your daggers out as you did so; the goblin king fell dead with a thud. 

You slid off the wall and hopped down next to Fili who was staring at you with a befuddled look. Well, so were the other dwarves. No body got to say anything before the piece of the bridge you were standing on gave way and the whole company along with you, fell down in to the wide gorge below. You weren’t sure if you were screaming because your ears were filled with the screams of the dwarves.

You held on to one of the wooden beams for dear life. Fili, who happened to be right in front of you, holding the same beam, shouted “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!”. The gorge narrowed and the piece of the bridge scrapped on the sides of it, slowing down the descend. “THAT’S THE LAST TIME I HELP YOU!!”, you shouted back. The platform landed on the ground in pieces. 

You took a minute to gather your wits before jumping to your feet, panting. You stepped closer to Gandalf who was up as well. 

“Well, that could have been worse”, one of the dwarves groaned. Your head snapped up to look at them when you heard a loud crash. You couldn’t help chuckling when you saw that the Goblin King’s corpse had fallen atop them.

You held out your hand to Fili who was struggling under the weight. He looked at you suspiciously before taking it, you pulled him out with ease. 

“We’ve got to get a move on! More goblins!”, Kili warned.

Everyone scrambled to their feet as they tore towards an opening. Fili had grabbed your hand and pushed you in front of him, urging you to keep up with them. You ran till Gandalf ordered everyone to halt. You found yourself standing amidst a circle of fir trees, leaning against a tree trunk, you tried to catch your breath. 

“Thank you”.

You turned your head to the side and saw Fili standing behind you fiddling with his fingers. Was he nervous? You nodded once.

He stepped closer, “Did you change your mind m’lady? About coming with us?”. You turned around to face him, “No. I only wanted to return the favor. We are even now”.

“Aye, lass why must you be so stubborn. I only want to help”, he sighed.

“I am fine master Fili. I can manage on my own. Besides, you are the only one who took kindly to me”, you commented with a glance at the suspicious eyes of the other dwarves.

“She is right Fili. She has no place among us”, Thorin’s accusatory tone confused you a tad bit. “Uncle, she saved us all”, Fili stated in a hushed voice.

_Uncle?_

You smiled a little at that. How could you have not seen the resemblance. Maybe because most of the dwarves’ features were covered in hair. 

“Trust me, she will not be dead weight”. You threw your hands up in frustration, didn’t you get a say here?

“If I hadn’t misunderstood, Fili, you _let_ her get away. You lied to me and now you want me to trust you?”, you shivered at how cold Thorin’s words were. Fili looked him the eye, “I only did what was right, uncle”. 

“Right?! You need to be loyal to the quest. Not to some elf”, Thorin shot back.

You slowly stepped away, you could make a quick getaway while they were still arguing. You took one more step and felt your back hit something warm. Slowly you looked back and saw Gandalf raise an eyebrow before giving your shoulder a slight nudge which sent you stumbling forward. 

“I think Fili has made an excellent point”, Gandalf raised his voice.

All eyes were shifted towards him. “We might very well need someone with her particular set of skills. Elves are quite the agile creatures. Quiet, intelligent and are among the best warriors of Middle Earth. I believe she will be a beneficial asset to your company, Thorin”.

You opened your mouth to protest but stopped when you saw the look on Fili’s face. He looked expectant and victorious. You rolled your eyes and sighed. 

“Fine”, you mumbled. 

“What was that?”, Thorin demanded.

“I want to come with you”, you said louder.

Thorin frowned. “Uncle, we could always use an extra pair of hands. We are only a small group”, Kili interjected taking Fili’s side.

Thorin glared at you for a few moments before he finally nodded his reluctant approval. Fili grinned from ear to ear and you couldn’t help laugh at his reaction. The dwarves scattered and Fili made his way up to you, “You’ll learn to like them Y/N”, he smiled.

You shrugged before asking, “So where is your home? And what is this quest Thorin spoke of?”. Fili ran a hand through his blond locks before replying, “You might want to sit down, it’s a long story”.

Thorin’s voice boomed through the clearing, “Where’s that bloody burglar?!”.


	4. Miruvor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its long because I felt bad about not updating as often.

Good grief there was no getting used to sleeping on the ground. 

You turned over to your side letting out an annoyed huff. Even though sleep wasn’t a necessity, it sure would be nice to get comfortable. You flipped on to your back again and pushed the tiny satchel under your head further down.

“Oh for Valar’s sake!”, you sighed in defeat as you stood and picked up your sword which lay next you on ground. You strapped in on with a vengeance. The sun was about to rise in the distance as you walked away from camp. You offered Ori, who was on watch, a slight nod as you passed him.

Might as well stretch your legs and find some food before Thorin gets the company moving again. Wandering further away you stumbled upon a gathering of bushes that grew from the towering sides of a rocky pass. It was a gorgeous sight to say the least. Tiny yellow and red flowers dotted the bright green grass and insects of all colors flew low over them. 

The grumpiness soon began to drain out of you as you took in the beauty around you that was just beginning to be touched by the light of the sun. These were the moments you loved the best; moments most people would miss, moments only a handful of people would have experienced and admired.

You quickened your pace as you climbed a gentle slope. Ducking under wayward branches you stopped when you reached a the end of the path: a stone wall. You looked around and saw a ledge jutting out of the ground, moss and ferns shrouded its base but what caught your attention was the plant that grew around it.

Walking over to it you knelt and began picking the small berries that were colored a deep purple. The wind danced through your hair and blew the leaves in all directions. You were lost in thought while your fingers expertly plucked berries at their stems. Soon you had a little more than a handful nestled on your lap, which was enough for you. You brushed your hands on the sides of your tunic and was just about to stand up.

"What you doin' over there Y/N?".

You got up with a start. You to your right and saw Fili leaning on the ledge with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk playing on his lips.

"You move quiet for someone with big feet", you said annoyed.

He let out a thunderous laugh, "When I want to, yes. But you didn't answer my question”.

“I though the answer was obvious. I was gathering food.”

“What? Where?”, he asked craning his neck to look at your hands excitedly.

You held out your hands to show him the berries you cupped between your palms, “Uguressa*. They’re quite rare this far East”, you grinned.

Fili bit his bottom lip and furrowed his messy blond brows and just stared at your hands. You looked between him and your hands confused, “What?”.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, “It looks like a fell beast crapped into your hands. I’m sorry Y/N, that’s not food. Throw it away.”

You rolled your eyes and took a berry between your fingers and rolled it till it was soft and squishy but was careful to not burst it. You popped it in your mouth to Fili’s disgust. You shrugged and offered him one, “It tastes amazing”.

He made a comical face before accepting it, he held his breath and threw it in his mouth before you could stop him. He chewed reluctantly making odd faces and you fought the urge to topple over with laughter. 

“You know Fili, you’re suppose to squish it before you eat it. Else it won’t taste good. Here, try this one”, you handed him one after rolling it between your fingers. He swallowed what was left in his mouth, cringing as he did, “I don’t know if I want to go through that again”. But he accepted all the same, he found out that he could almost never turn you down. Sighing, he ate the berry while you popped a bunch in your mouth. Not surprisingly, he didn’t look like he was being tormented this time.

“Not bad. But I still prefer boar”, he grinned.

“Over what?”.

You both snap your heads over to the sound of Thorin’s voice. He stood a few feet away from you with his hands clasped behind his back, his soul shattering blue eyes stared at you. Momentarily they switched over to Fili, awaiting a reply. 

“Berries”, Fili responded with a slight smile.

He looked at you like he wanted to say something then he shifted his gaze to his feet before saying, “We need to get back on the road. Return to camp.”

Thorin did _not_ like you and you felt that.

You took a step forward, “Would you like to try some, Thorin?”. You were only trying to be friendly. He looked at you through suspicious eyes. You thought he was going to refuse, but when did Thorin Oakenshield ever back away from a challenge? Your thoughts were confirmed when he walked up to you and took one from your hands. 

“Be careful Uncle, you have to squish them else they taste worse than mother’s cooking”, Fili said with a serious expression.

You could have sworn to Varda that you saw a slight shiver run through Thorin’s body at that warning. Was Dis that bad, you thought with a smirk.

Thorin looked at the berry that rested on his palm and brought it between his index finger and thumb. He applied too much pressure and the skin of the fruit broke, spraying the contents on his face. 

Fili was choking with laughter. You were giggling. It couldn’t be helped, he looked stunned and a bit angry at the same time. “Gimmie that”, he grabbed another berry in the blink of an eye, and in his hurry he squished the second one into oblivion as well. You wiped a tear from your eye as you tried to stop laughing. 

Thorin wiped his face with the back of his hand before saying, “Get back to camp”, and turning away.

“Oh, dwarves and their fat hands”, you laughed.

You stopped laughing when you thought you heard Thorin mumble something along the lines of “not as fat as your birthing hips” as he disappeared into some bushes.

Anger sparked in you, “The nerve”.

“What?”, Fili asked through chuckles.

“He said I have fat hips”, you replied without thinking.

“Impossible. You must have misheard”, he took a step towards you a wide grin still plastered on his face.

“You have perfect hips”, you stiffened as he gently drew the tips of his fingers across the fabric covering your hip bone. You gazed into his twinkling eyes captivated for a second before stepping back, “What are you doing?”.

“Getting this bug off you”, he held out his hand and you saw a crushed blue bug.

“You didn’t have to kill it!”, you stated in horror.

“Sorry. Fat hands.”, he said chucking as he beckoned you to follow him back.

* * *

Nearing camp, you could hear howls and barks along with agitated cries. You drew your sword and Fili pulled out his battle axes. Once in the clearing you saw smoke rising to the dimly lit sky and the tops of the fir trees on fire. Hurrying over to the trees, you held back once you saw wargs and their orc riders. Fili did not hold back, he rushed to the aid of his companions who were atop the trees. 

The fire had spread to the grass on the ground.

Fili and Thorin stood alone facing the orcs.

You cursed for not having your bow on you. You gasped when one of the orcs struck Thorin’s face with its mace. A warg had him between his teeth now. You evaded flames that were spreading all around you and climbed on top of the warg simultaneously kicking the rider in its face. You sliced at the warg’s head and it threw Thorin in the air and he landed a few feet in front of you. The orc behind you pulled you up from your hair till your feet were dangling in the air and threw you against a tree. 

You looked up and saw Bilbo attaching the orc who had a sword raised over Thorin. You pulled yourself up and picked up your sword before lunging at another warg, you almost had your sword in it when something grabbed hold of your waist and lifted you up into the air. You let out a startled squeal when you saw the orcs and the wargs shrink as you were lifted higher. The air around you turned cooler to your relief.

You looked down and saw large talons encircling your waist. Eagles. More swooped down and picked up the rest of the company while throwing the wargs over the cliff. You felt the talons begin to loosen till you were falling. A shrill scream left your lips as your arms and legs flailed. 

Relief flooded your veins as a pair of arms caught you and laid you down on the feathery back of yet another eagle. Your heart was still racing but you turned your head and saw a disheveled Fili, worry marring his features. 

“Are you alright?”, he asked before shifting his gaze to the eagle ahead of you. “I’m fine”, you said rubbing the back of your bruised neck.

“Are you sure?”, you whipped your head around again to see Kili poking his head over Fili’s shoulder. “Yes, Kili, I am sure”, you said with a small smile.

The sun has risen halfway and you sighed hugging your knees to your chest appreciating the beauty around you. You were literally soaring among the clouds, how often does that happen to someone? The wind whipped your hair and you stretched your arm out to the side trying to catch a cloud.

Fili’s fingers wove between yours and pulled your hand back on to your lap, “Careful, you might fall”. You felt your skin tingle and all of a sudden you were aware of the pelt covering his chest tickling the exposed skin of your neck and his soft breath blow on the back of your head. Were you blushing?

You sat still trying to just enjoy the scenic surroundings but all you could think about was his presence, his very _close_ presence. You turned your head slightly and saw him looking into the distance, still wearing an expression of worry.

Soon the eagles began lowering altitude and you recognized the area; it was the Carrock. The eagles dropped your off at a good vantage point before flying away.

Thorin lay on the ground, lifeless. The dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf moved to surround him. You hesitated.

Then you remembered his quest and your promise to help him, you never broke your promises. You squeezed past the dwarves and knelt at Thorin’s side.

Cuts scattered across his face, his hair was matted and he was turning pale. Brushing back some of his dark tresses you couldn’t help noticing how calm he looked. You’ve never seen him look more serene. 

You pulled out a vial of Miruvor from your pocket, opening it you parted his lips and poured the contents in. The dwarves surrounding you began to protest, Fili stepped forward and ordered them to be quiet.

“Do not fret. Miruvor is the nectar of the Valar, made from Yavanna’s flowers. He will awaken in no time”, with that you began to chant softly:

“Menno o nin na hon  
i eliad annen annin,  
hon leitho o ngurth.”

You held his hand and placed a kiss on his forehead.

When you pulled back,Thorin fluttered his lids open and stared at you.

“You. And that burglar. Have you lost your mind?”.

You stood up, “Clearly. Here I am wasting my last healing supplies on an ungrateful dwarf”. You spun around and was about to walk away when Thorin grasped your hand spun you around. 

“Do not walk away from me woman! I will not have it.”

You yanked your hand free from his grasp.

He looked down at his feet before speaking, “ Âkminrûk zu”. 

You did not need to know Khuzdul to know that he was thanking you, the look in his eyes did all the translating you needed. You bowed your head before replying in your own tongue, “Glassen (you are welcome/ my joy)”.

You caught a glimpse of Fili; his lips were pursed and his expression unreadable. You excused yourself and walked away from the company to seek a moment alone.

He is confusing. All of them are confusing. And you were confusing yourself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uguressa*- Dunno what its called in the west and yes that is how you eat it, it is awesome <3
> 
> Sorry Bilbo, this story just ain't about you >.


End file.
